Barrel and barrel head therefor



Dec. 2, 1958 6.5.1 2,862,639

I BARREL AND BARREL HEAD THEREFOR Filed May 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

- Dec. 2, 1958 H. G. BELL BARREL AND BARREL HEAD THEREFOR Y 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 24, 1955 ATTOP ME'YS.

2,862,639 Patented Dec. 2, 195s This invention resides in the provision of an improved barrel and barrel head therefor and while it will be described as having particular application to tobacco hogsheads and the like it must be understood that such"invention has general application in the field of barrels and like containers.

This inventionhas, for example, particular application .to barrels and tobacco hogsheads such as showninPatent No. 2,454,267 in the name of Harry Guthrie Bell and Jacob Douglas Gay, Jr.; Patent No. 2,470,459 in the :name of Harry G. Bell; Patent No. 2,554,357 in the name of Harry G. Bell; Patent No. 2,555,530 in the name of of Harry G. Bell andlacob -D. Gay, In; and Patent No.

2,556,789 in the name of Harry G. Bell andlacob D.

Gay, Jr. The barrels and tobacco hogsheads shown in the aforementioned patents have proved quite "successful andhave admirably fulfilled the need for a good hogshead which existed in the tobacco industry. The passage of time, however, has emphasized certain conditions'in the construction of such hogsheads'which can stand improvement.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention "to provide an improved barrel and barrel head therefor in which the head for both the top and bot-tom may be put in place without separating or par-ting the body sections so to do. 7 f j v I -A further object of this invention is to provide means for reinforcing the peripheral edge of the barrel head which willat the same time permit the head to flex when it is being put in place within the barrel body. 7

Yet another object of this invention is to construct the tobacco hogshead and head in such a way that the head constituting the top closure for the hogshead will remain adjacent the upper ends of the staves defining the hogshead even after the tobacco has dried or cured to such an extent as to leave a space-below the top head,

United States Patent Ofiice showing the bottom head as it is being placed within a barrel or hogshead,

Figure '10 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing the top head being placed within the barrel or hogsfhead,

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line 11'"11 of 'Figure 10,

Figure '12 is a fragmentary sectional .view showing the top head in place within the hogshead right'after same has been filled with tobacco, .and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the top head in place within the hogshead after the tobacco therein has cured and'settled somewhat.

' Referring now to the drawings and especially to Figures l, 2 and 5, the hogshead has been generally indicated at '20. This'hogshead is made up of a pluralityof staves '21 which are maintained by intermediate hoops 22 and combination hoops and liners 23, these latter beinglolcated at the extreme ends .of the staves. The staves 21 arenormally made from plywood while the hoops and ho ps and liners 22 and23- respectivelyare formed of I metal. In the Bell et a1. Patent 2,555,530 aforementioned these hogsheads ,are made by taking sheets of plywood, clamping the hoops and: hoops andliners inplace, stapling these hoop and liners in desired manner and then sawing through the plywood between hoops while grooving the plywood beneath the hoops in order to define a hogs- These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following "of "Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a section taken ;on the line 34-3 of Figure 11, Figure 4 is a plan view of a barrel head whichgmay constitute the top or bottom head of a barrel or tobacco hogshead, v

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-.5 ofFigure 1, Figure 6'is a section taken on thejline6+6 of Figure 5, Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective "view emphasizing the construction shown in Figure 6, n

Figure Sis a section taken on the line 8-48 of Figure 4, Figure 9 is a fragmentary exploded view, in section,

head made up of ,a plurality of staves. The plywood sec tion or sections as the case may be define the eventual diameter and height of the hogshead.v The ends of the hoops and hoops and liner-s are provided with members 24 to receive pintles 25 in order to secure the section or sections together. The instant invention is not limited in its application to barrels or hogsheads formed inrthe general manner just described although this has proved to be a good Way of constructing articles of this type.

The combination hoop and liner 2.3 employed at the respective ends of the hogshead are so formed as to provide, see especially Figures 1 and 5, an uninterrupted band of metal 26 about the outer periphery of the staves 21 adjacent their ends, a plurality of metal segments 27.

disposed across the ends of each stave '21 with a slight space between segments and correspondingto the linesof cut defining the individual staves, a plurality of flanges 28 sloping downwardly and inwardly from the segments 27, and a plurality of segments 29 each lying substantially across a stave 21 near its end. The metal 30 extending from the end of the flange 28 to the segment 29 lies in a plane which is perpendicular to that of the stave 21.

The hoop and liner members 23 are secured to the hogshead 20 by means of a series of staples 31 which pass through the bands 26, staves 21 and segments 29. The crowns of the staples '31 lie flush against the band 26 while the legs of the staple extend through the stave 2 11-and band 29 in such a manner that the leg ends or points 32take the position thus shown in Figures 6 and 7. Special anvils have been constructed to insure that the staple takes the position herein illustrated. vThis arrangement is quite important to'the improved hogs head and head therefor as will .be .emphasizcdshortly. In this connection it should be noted that the staple is so formed and clinched that the leg portions 32 donot lie flat against the segment 29 nor do they extend back .into the stave 21. Rather these staple end portions 32 pass completely'through the segment 29 and are then return-bent so as to engage it thus leaving a slight space 33 betweenthe segment 29 and leg portions 32. This has been shown in exaggerated form in Figure ,7 for purposes of illustration. It is necessaryto the construction and carrying out of this invention that thestaple 31 is 'the bottom.

so driven and set as to provide the extending portions 32 in the manner just described.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 8 there is illustrated ,a head for the barrel or hogshead of this invention.

This head 34 comprises a circular disc which may also be made'of plywood. A U-shaped band 35 is d'isposed about the peripheral edge of the head 34 andto this end one end of the band may be tacked in place as indicated at 36 and the hand then brought into engagement about the full periphery of the head after which it may be stapled into place as indicated at 37. The legs 38 and 39 of theU-shaped band 35 lie flat against the surperpendicular underportion 30 of the hoop and liner 23,

the location and formation of the staples 31, the arrangement of the channel member 35 and the location of the staples 37 act together to produce the improved barrel and barrelhead therefor constituting this invention. This is perhaps best illustrated in Figures 9 through 13.

In erecting the hogshead of this invention a flat section or sections each comprised of the staves 21, hoops 22 and hoop and liners 23 are stood upon the edge 27 of the hoop and liner 23 and physically manipulated to a generally circular form when 'viewed in plan and the pintles 25 put in place thus maintaining the hogshead in erected condition. The next step is to place one of the heads 34 in the bottom of the barrel or hogshead 20. One way of doing this has been illustrated in Figure 9 wherein a head 34 has been inserted from the top and, as indicated by the arrow, is being moved towards It will be a simple matter to wiggle the barrel head 34 past the ends of the staples 32 until it has been brought to rest on the underside 30 of the flange 28, this underside 30 lying in a plane perpendlcular to the staves 21. Since there are no upstanding or reinforcing flanges on the U-shaped channel member 35 disposed about the periphery of the head 34 such head may be flexed a bit if necessary in order to get it past the ends of the staples 32. This is one of the reasons for forming the head in this manner. This is perhaps better illustrated in connection with the placing of the top as will be discussed in connection with Figure 10.

When the head 34 has been properly positioned in the bottom of the hogshead the relationship among the various parts will be as shown in Figure ll. The head 34 will rest on the flat portion 30 of the flange 28. The staple 31 is positioned not only so that it will engage the flanges 26 and 29 of the hoop and liner 23 but also so that the distance between the ends 32 and the flat portion 30 just mentioned will be substantially equal to the thickness of the head 34 and the flanges 38 and 39 of the channel member 35. In this manner the head 34 is held snugly in place between the staple legs 32 and-flat flange portion 30. In addition the staple 37 is so positioned that it will engage the juncture of flange portions 28 and 30 which gives added rigidity to the construction. In large barrels and hogsheads of the type herein under consideration, wherein it is common for such hogsheads to contain upwards of a thousand pounds of tobacco, it is important that every step be taken to insure the strongest possible construction since these barrels are often subjected to rather rough treatment in handling and during transportation. It is particularly important that the barrel ends be protected against damage since they will often strike other objects while being moved and since they are often dropped thereon. By arranging the flange 28 so as to present the perpendicular portion 30 added rigidity is given to 4 the ends of the staves 21 and therefore to the end of the hogshead. The position of the staple 37 increases this rigidity as it provides an abutment for the flange members 28 and 30.

After one of the heads 34 has been disposed in the bottom of the barrel or hogshead, such barrel or hogshead is then filled with material Which for purposes of illustration has been generally designated at 40 and will be considered as being tobacco. This tobacco will normally 'be packed into the hogshead under considerable pressure. When it has been loaded with the desired amount of tobacco it then becomes necessary to insert another head 34 on top of the tobacco. In Figure 10 there has been more or less diagrammatically illustrated a manner in which such head 34 may be placed. 'l'his figure emphasizes the importance in having the head 34 somewhat flexible as is permitted by the simple channel member 35 disposed about its peripheral edge. An operator may place the head 34 on top of the tobacco and then while standing thereon wiggle it into place with the help of a simple tool or the like as indicated at 41.

After the operator has succeeded in placing the head 34 it will be in the position illustrated in Figure 12. As described in connection with the bottom member so also will this top head 34 be engaged between the flat portion 30 of the flange 28 and the ends 32 of the staples 31. The pressure of the packed tobacco will force the head back over the staple ends 32 and against the flange portion 30. As will be described shortly this has a particular significance in connection with the top member.

As perhaps best seen in Figure 13 the head 34 will be maintained between the staple ends 32 and the flat portion 30 of the flange 28. Again the juncture of flange portions 28 and 30, as indicated at 28a, will abut the staples 37 which hold the flanges 38 and 39 of the channel member 35 in position about the periphery of the head 34.

In addition to the advantages of the construction as described in connection with the bottom member of Figures 9 and 11 it should be observed that there is another important advantage as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. Figure 12 shows the hogshead right after it has been loaded with tobacco and right after the head 34 has been put in place. With the passage of time, however, the tobacco will shrink somewhat and leave a space beneath the head 34. Were it not for the position and configuration of the staple ends 32 the head 34 would move downwardly within the hogshead upon shrinkage of the tobacco. This would result in removal of support near the ends of the staves 21. Upon rough handling of the hogshead such staves would be much more apt to break if the head 34 were not maintained in the position shown in Figure 13. Thus it is quite important that the staples 31 be positioned so as to have the ends 32 thereof spaced from the flange portion 30 in a manner just nicely to maintain the head 34 therebetween.

Also, as above mentioned, it is important that the staples 37 be positioned so as to engage the juncture 28a of the flange portions 28 and 30 when in position. This may be emphasized by noting that the flanges 28 extend from the uppermost flange 38 and staples 37 of the head 34 to the segments 27 located on the tips of the staves 21. While the periphery of the head 34 will itself support the staves 21 near their ends, support for the very ends or tips of such staves is derived from this flange 28. By having the flange 28 braced against the staples 37 such support for the stave tips is much enlarged.

All these and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood, however, that modifications may be made in the construction of the improved barrel and barrel head of this invention without departing from its scope and spirit. It is to be further understoodthat while this invention has been shown as embodied in certain particular arrangements and structures, the invention is not to be limited to such arrangements and structures except insofar as they are specifically set forth in the subjoined claim.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and what is desired to be protected by United States Letters Patent is:

An improved barrel and barrel head comprising: a first reinforcing member disposed about the edge of said barrel, said member comprising an uninterrupted band disposed flat about the outside of said barrel, a plurality of first segments extending from said band and disposed about the extreme edge of said barrel, a plurality of flanges sloping inwardly from said first segments, flange portions extending outwardly from the innermost ends of said flanges to the inside of said barrel and perpendicular thereto, and second segments extending downwardly from said flange portions and perpendicular to said flange por-.

tions, said second segments being disposed flat about the inside of said barrel; a second reinforcing member dis posed about the periphery of said barrel head, said last mentioned member comprising a U-shaped channel member having the bridge of the U engaging the extreme edge of said head and the legs of the U being disposed flat about either side of the head; first U-shaped staples passing through said band and said second segments, the

inner end portions of said first U-shaped staples being return-bent and projecting inwardly of the inner surface of said second segments and presenting first abutments spaced from said second segments inwardly of said barrel; second U-shaped staples passing through the legs of said U-shaped member parallel to said second segments and presenting second abutments on the outer side of said head; said first U-shaped staplesbeing parallel to said flange portions and spaced from said flange portions a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said head and said second reinforcing member whereby said first abutments hold said head immediately adjacent said flange portions; and said second abutments being spaced from the edge of said head so as to engage the innermost ends of said flanges when said head is in place within the barrel and engaged between said first abutments and said flange portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,928 Quimby May 1, 1934 2,018,595 Blair Oct. 22, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 480,364 Canada .i Jan. 22, 1952 

